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Horror Cult Classic

A wandering American is ensnared in a deadly web of lust, guilt, and blowtorch justice in rural France.

MANIAC

He helped unleash a killer. He never asked who was holding the leash.

1963 · 1h 26m · NR · Horror / Thriller / Crime / Mystery / Romance · IMDB TMDB

Stranded in rural France, a wandering American agrees to help free his lover’s homicidal husband, stepping into a scheme built on lust, deception, and an infamous blowtorch murder.

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Quick Answer

What is Maniac about?

Maniac is a 1963 United Kingdom horror thriller directed by Michael Carreras about an American drifter caught in a scheme of murder, seduction, and retribution after agreeing to help free his lover’s homicidal husband.

Programmer's Pick

Leave it to Hammer alumnus Michael Carreras to serve up a twisted French holiday: an American tourist, blowtorch vengeance, and a seductress with her own score to settle. Not your typical countryside getaway—unless your idea of romance involves asylum escapes and torch-wielding justice.

— SassyFlix Programmer

Overview

Set in the French countryside, Maniac follows an American outsider who becomes romantically involved with a married woman after becoming stranded in a small town. Unknown to him, her husband is locked in an asylum for violently avenging an attack on their daughter. As the American is lured deeper into the lives of this fractured family, he becomes implicated in a plot that blends sexual guilt, manipulation, and murder. Navigating a landscape of seduction, deceit, and vigilante motives, he quickly realizes that he is being set up to take the fall for crimes he didn’t commit. Maniac melds psychological horror with gothic thriller elements, creating an atmosphere thick with suspicion and danger.

Details & Specs

Director
Michael Carreras
Writer
Jimmy Sangster
Release
1963
Runtime
1h 26m
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English, French
Genres
Horror, Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Romance
Also Known As
The Maniac

Cast & Crew

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Director: Michael Carreras Writer: Jimmy Sangster
Kerwin Mathews Kerwin Mathews Paul Farrell Nadia Gray Nadia Gray Eve Beynat Donald Houston Donald Houston Georges Liliane Brousse Liliane Brousse Annette Beynat George Pastell George Pastell Inspector Etienne Arnold Diamond Arnold Diamond Janiello Norman Bird Norman Bird Salon JL Justine Lord Grace Jerold Wells Jerold Wells Giles LP Leon Peers Blanchard

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Why Cult

Blowtorch Murder Plot

The infamous blowtorch killing sits at the bloody heart of this psychological thriller, setting the stage for cycles of revenge.

Psychosexual Manipulation

Seduction and guilt mesh as a sensuous innkeeper grooms an unsuspecting stranger to take the rap for murder.

Gothic French Atmosphere

Set in a quiet rural French town, the film simmers with dark secrets, rural isolation, and a brooding sense of menace.

Vigilante Justice Theme

The film’s narrative hinges on violent retribution and frontier justice, raising the stakes for every character involved.

Scene Gallery

Threat File

Trigger

Attack on a teenage girl

Threat

Vigilante retribution and framed murder

Effect

Innocents are manipulated and implicated in deadly crimes

Countermeasure

Manipulation of legal responsibility

Setting

Rural French countryside

Questions from the Vault

When was Maniac released? +

Maniac was released in 1963.

Who directed Maniac? +

Maniac was directed by Michael Carreras.

How long is Maniac? +

Maniac has a runtime of 86 minutes.

What genre is Maniac? +

Maniac is a horror, thriller, crime, mystery, and romance film.

Where can I watch Maniac? +

You can watch Maniac on SassyFlix.

Trailers & Clips

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